Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing her views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Ms. Anna David. She is a TV personality, author and was a fulltime freelancer at People,. She had a contract with US Weekly Magazine and ,wrote a love and relationship column for Razor. Her first novel, Party Girl, was released May, 2007. Her second novel Bought is now available in bookstores and on line.

E.I. Your book, Bought explores the sexy, dysfunctional world of Hollywood's "kept women” and the tremendous pressures put on a hungry-for-promotion journalist. What drew you to explore these topics and was there something special that first sparked the storyline for the novel?

A.D. Years ago, I wrote an article on high-class prostitution in Hollywood for Details. I had anticipated interviewing people over a few weeks and gathering some anecdotes, but I ended up spending about six months obsessively infiltrating that universe, getting to know the girls as well as the detectives, FBI informants and other denizens of the underworld. I was always disappointed that the article ended up being this 2000-word story that essentially just relayed how rich men got their rocks off and didn’t get into the dynamics behind any of it. Sometime after finishing the Details story, I was reading an article about a beautiful, well-educated, seemingly cultivated girl who brazenly admitted that she took money from men in exchange for sexual favors. I was amazed that someone like that could do and say those things without seeming to have an ounce of shame about it and honestly, I admired it. I walk around feeling shame about all kinds of things I shouldn’t so for someone to own behavior that most of the world was going to judge just seemed so ballsy. I’m also slightly obsessed with the different versions of ourselves that we present to the world so I wanted to examine how someone like that – someone who, on the surface, had everything going for her and appeared confident – might be lying to herself and how her well-honed armor might crack.

E.I. Jessica Davis is a professional escort who gets paid in clothes, jewelry, and rent payments. What research did you do in preparation for writing about Jessica – did you know of anyone who are professional escorts to help you with your research for your book?

A.D. I got to know the women I interviewed for the Details story reasonably well but I mostly based Jessica on what I imagined the girl I read the article would be like as well as some of the women I’d run across in L.A. who seemed to accept the fact that they needed men to be their meal tickets. When I was promoting the book, I got to know a number of the women who were on a website that hooked aspiring gold diggers up with their “sugar daddies” – as well as Brooke Taylor, who works at the Cattle Ranch in Nevada (and is on the reality show Cathouse) and was amazed by how much they were like the women I’d invented.

E.I. What part of working on a book is most enjoyable to you? And how difficult was it to muster up the courage to write Bought?

A.D. The most enjoyable part, for me, is when the rewrites are complete and I’m printing up the entire book to go through it with my red pen. I have all kinds of tricks for getting myself to read something I’ve already read hundreds of times and still have a fresh reaction to it because books become like that small hole next to your coat hook in your entryway; in other words, you can cease to see the flaws because you’re simply so accustomed to them. So it’s almost like an acting exercise for me: I pretend I’m someone specific – a certain friend, my agent, my mom, whoever – and I read the book as if I’m that person, making every effort I possibly can to embody them so I can see the book the way they would. And I didn’t think that writing Bought took much courage. Party Girl required far more because I was really putting myself out there as an incredibly flawed and screwed up person.

E.I. The first time you saw your book in a bookstore, what did you think?

A.D. The first time I saw Party Girl in a bookstore, I hugged the saleswoman. It was at a reading for an anthology I had an essay in and Party Girl wasn’t due out for another month. But somehow this store had gotten my publisher to release copies early for this anthology reading so I was completely taken by surprise. I think I started screaming and demanding that the she tell me how she’d gotten this miracle to occur. I remember her smiling but looking at me like I was half insane. For years, I looked for Party Girl and Bought in every bookstore I went to but at a certain point I stopped. But I do get a bit of a serotonin rush when I see Laura Davis’ and Robertson Davies’ names because those always seemed to be the ones that came after mine on the shelf.

E.I. With four books under your belt, how have you evolved as a writer?

A.D. With Party Girl, I was really just teaching myself how to write a first person, present-tense book with one main character. Bought was far more challenging, not only because I was writing about a world I didn’t have any personal experience in but also because the protagonist, Emma, really isn’t the main character. Most people tell me they come away from the book far more intrigued by Jessica, despite the fact that she had fewer redeeming qualities, and that was always my intention. My third book is an anthology: I wrote only one essay in it and then assigned and edited the other 17 pieces. While I’d edited before (I’m a massive self-editor and pride myself on the fact that neither Party Girl or Bought received line edits; I’ve also been an editor at magazines), I’d never been responsible for articles by writers of this caliber. For me to have to go back to writers who are far more successful than I am and ask them to make changes wasn’t easy but the hardest part of that book was dealing with the writers who’d promised they’d contribute and completely flaked out! I’m about a third of the way through writing my fourth book and it’s absolutely the most enjoyable of them all because it’s something of a memoir. No disguising experiences I had, no developing characters and no inventing scenarios for them – just straight up storytelling from my own life.

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To date, I have published the first novel in my YA series: Wireless in the Fabric of Time. It was released in January 2007, and can be ordered through Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Wireless: Life Doesn’t Rewind Across The Universe, the second book in the series, will be published sometime in 2010.
While working on my novels, I started a series of blogs. First, “Totally YA” focuses on all things young adults; another, “Up Close & Personal,” is an ongoing conversation with authors and others from various genres; and the third, “A View From the Top,” attempts to offer insight into agents’ and publishers’ points of view.
The response to the blogs has been exciting and encouraging. It seems my readers enjoy an open conversation with authors, agents and publishers of all ages, in which the blogger’s voice takes a back seat. The free expression that results has been enlightening to me as well, as it happens to have expanded my interests to fiction.
Goodbye Bling-Bling, Hel---looo, Jailbird! will be my first attempt at non-fiction. Look for 2010 release date.

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"If you can't enter the publishing world through the front door, try the back door - if that door is locked also, there is almost always a window open."
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FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Stacey Barney

Penguin / G.P. Putnam's Son

In lieu of a personal photo, Ms. Barney has supplied a company logo.

Stacey Barney, an editor at Putnam Books for Young Readers has held posts in both adult and children's book publishing, beginning her career at Lee & Low Books, a multicultural children's book publisher. She then worked at Farrar, Straus and Giroux with such talented new writers as Chris Abani and Lisa Dierbeck.

At Amistad/HarperCollins, she published LA Times bestselling author Tamara T. Gregory's Passport Diaries as well as the acclaimed memoir, This Voice in My Heart. Before coming onboard Putnam's team, she worked at Dafina/Kensington, where she launched a Young Adult list with such titles as DRAMA HIGH, SO NOT THE DRAMA, BOY SHOPPING, and PERRY SKKY JR, the spin-off to bestseller Christian teen series PAYTON SKKY.

At Putnam, Stacey is looking for multicultural voices in everything from chapter books and middle grade to Young Adult.

EI: How often do you accept an offering because you feel it could be edited into publishable form but then fail to do so—either because of difficulty with the author or it wasn't any good in the first place?

Stacey Barney: I’ve not had this experience. I’ve never taken something on and then failed to publish it. When I take on work it’s because the author has done their job and what I receive on submission is already very polished.

When I take on something less than polished, it’s because I see the potential in it, and have a vision for it that matches the author’s vision. When Penguin/G.P. Putnam's Sons considers a new author's manuscript, does film potential play a role in the decision process? Can you rank the top genre markets in terms of most lucrative to least? Film potential doesn’t play a role in whether we decide to publish something or not.

While I won’t provide a ranking, I will say that Fantasy tends to be a very lucrative side of the business as does commercial teen fiction—books that are issue driven or chick lit type narratives such as the Gossip Girls series.

EI: Will you explain to us how you make contact with an editor at a major house once you have a manuscript you are excited about? Can you tell the readers so that they can understand the role of an agent? Do you send an editor a formal proposal of some type? Or do you just pick up the phone? Does it vary from house to house, press to press?

Holly Root: When I have a project that’s ready to go out the door—edited, primped, and polished—I start by pulling together a submission list of editors to talk to about the book. The next step is crafting a pitch
letter. This will later be the cover letter for the submission, but it’s also where I begin to refine the pitch. The best pitches, like the best queries, pique the reader’s interest, play up the project’s selling points, and help build excitement about the project.

Once that submission list is final and the letter is set, I’ll get in touch with the editors and personally pitch them the book, then send over the manuscript or proposal with that cover letter. The exact kind of pitch does vary; some people prefer to have the details about projects over email, others by phone. My pitch gets the book in the door, but ultimately it is the work that sells. My role as the agent is to get that work into the right person’s hands and highlight the potential for that book’s success.

EI: Do you see the demand for first novels increasing? Any difference between literary and genre work? What is your opinion?

Byrd Leavell: I think the case could be made that the fact that a constant demand for first novels exists is one of the most redeeming aspects of this business. Whether it is increasing I wouldn't
venture to speak to, but what I can tell you is that that book publishing is full of terrific editors that read the novels we send to them and do so quickly. And if they like and believe in them they do everything they can to push them through the nearly Sisyphean process that putting together an
offer from a publishing house can be.

A first novel is rarely ever an easy submission, but at the same time there is a continual, almost desperate hunger for talent within book publishing. And it this hunger that gives every writer out there a reason to keep sitting down in front of their computer. If you are one of the blessed few that is able to rise above the rest, find your voice (whether it is literary fiction or a zombie novel) and write a manuscript that captures a reader the way only good fiction can, then believe me when I say that you will have no trouble finding an agent

EI: Is it true that the first 3 chapters in a MS is crucial, but if the narrative is awkward or the prose poor, won't that be obvious right away? Why would an editor or agent need to read past the first 3 chapters?

Nathan Bransford: The first three chapters are definitely important because they have to hook an agent right away. I am always looking for a great plot and a writer who has mastered the craft of writing. I don’t often read manuscripts where the narrative is awkward and the prose is poor, because writers who don’t have a mastery of narrative and prose don’t make it past the query stage.

Robert G. Diforio has been in the publishing industry for 40 years, including 17 years at New American Library Dutton\Penguin USA from VP Sales to
President and Publisher, Chairman and CEO. He’s the founder and sole owner of
D4EO Literary Agency since 1989.

E.I. What qualities must a manuscript possess in order for you to really push to see it published? Do you base it on the query letter?

Robert Diforio: It is the query letter that gets – or doesn’t – my attention in the first place, but it clearly is the ms. or proposal that determines my decision to represent the work or not.

If it is a novel, it is the author’s voice in the ms. that will generate my attention, or not. If the voice is strong and the story compelling, I am apt to say yes. Once I say yes, I do my utmost to find editors who agree with me and strike the best deal, with the right editor, that I can on behalf of the author. If the work is non-fiction, then it is a combination of the work itself – it has to be compelling – and the author’s ability to help sell his work. Publishers demand that authors, especially first time authors, have a media platform before they will consider publication. In its absence, the proposal or manuscript would have to truly capture my attention for me to take the time to try to find editors who agree.

In both fiction and non-fiction, the work has to excite me. If it doesn’t, I am not the agent to sell it.

FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Elise Capron - Agent,

Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

In lieu of a personal photo, Ms. Capron has supplied a client's book cover.

E.I. Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. Capron, Let’s say a writer compose a query that is brilliant and exhibits adequate credentials plus a unique and provocative story idea, and the writing sample she includes will persuade just about any agent in the literary business. Do you think that she will hear quickly from those who are interested? Will an agent give the writer a go signal to send the whole manuscript right away? What’s your opinion?

Elise Capron: The situation is different for every agent. If the project is fiction, one must remember that fiction is all about personal taste. What speaks to one person may not speak to another. Response time from agencies also varies greatly.

At the Dijkstra Agency we have a reading response time of 6-8 weeks (or sooner if possible), and when we’re excited about a project we will try to get in touch with the author sooner rather than later. Agencies all have different policies on when to request a full manuscript.

At the Dijkstra Agency, if we read something we really like, we’ll typically get a second read on the partial manscript, and then—if we get support from our colleage—we’ll request the full manuscript. We only request full manuscripts when we are seriously interested.

If an author hasn’t heard back from an agency after a certain period of time, don’t take that as a sign of rejection. Call the agency and check on the project’s progress (please allow at least a few weeks to pass before calling, however) to make sure they received it.

Along with Michael Carlisle, and Richard Pine, Kim Witherspoon is the founding partner of Inkwell Management. Ms. Witherspoon graduated from Brown
University in 1984 with a BA in International Relations. Then at the tender age of 26, and with the collaboration of her partners, she launched what has become
one of the most successful agencies in New York's Manhattan. Her clients are frequently published internationally, as well.

She is also a founding board member of a new public charter high school, The Bronx Academy of Letters. She remains a member of the Authors Guild, and is the editor of two anthologies, including: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: Culinary Catastrophes From the World’s Greatest Chefs.(www.inkwellmanagement.com/

E.I. Ms. Witherspoon, thank you for stopping by. Would you please explain as the founding partner at Inkwell Management, how do you view the market for first novels in the literary mainstream genre and literary fiction? Does the culture at your agency differ from other agencies with respect to giving a serious look at first-time authors?

Kimberly Witherspoon: "At InkWell, first novelists with strong manuscripts enjoy an opportunity that previously published authors do not. An unpublished author has no sales track, so provided that his or her book is exceptionally strong, we are free to work with the publisher to project how many copies the book might potentially sell, unfettered by any past sales history. Similarly, if an author has an interesting personal story, we are able to present a fresh profile to the media. The field is wide open -- and that's a uniquely powerful moment in a writer's life, provided that we're presenting a compelling read.

We’re always excited about reading an especially talented first-time author -- whether their work is literary or commercial -- as helping launch a writer’s career and then building their audience is deeply satisfying.
Essentially, InkWell is committed to helping writers gain the recognition they deserve at any stage of their career -- whether we're presenting their first book or their 10th!"

Lisa Bankoff has been with ICM for more than twenty five years. Her background in publicity, marketing, promotion and editorial gives her a unique insight, and a solid foundation for the agency business. Actually her first dream was to be a journalist. Instead she chose a career path that would bring her closer to her love of writing working in both with fiction and nonfiction.

Ms. Bankoff worked with the late Jed Mattes. He was a highly regarded literary agent, who is remembered for nurturing the careers of well-known gay writers such as Armistead Maupin, Michelangelo Signorile, and Urvashi Vaid. Mr. Mattes also represented the best-selling author Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), and playwright Michael Frayn.

Many of Lisa Bankoff’s clients have written best-selling books. Of those many are clients she nurtured from day one of their writing careers. Loyalty and commitment along with her passion for the business are the keys to her success as an agent. Her client list reads something like a who’s who: Elizabeth Berg, Doug Brinkley, Claire Cook, John Colapinto, Chris Hedges, Laura Kasischke, J. Robert Lennon, David Lipsky, Ann Patchett, Mike Perry, Anne Roiphe, and Anne Ursu.

E. I. What combination of literary factors make an author successful in terms of book sales? Is it setting, dramatic premise, or great wordsmithing?

Why isn't the book selling? Luck is a four letter word. There's good luck, the sort that takes your breath away, rare and thrilling; the phone call (Oprah!); or the award (Barnes & Noble Discover winner!); or the film deal (Uma!). I've experienced all of those and then there's the other side of luck, the bad-timing, can't catch-a-break, is-anyone-out-there, does-anyone-still-even-read-variety. It's important to bear in mind that the publishing gods can be fickle and then just ignore them, do
your very best and don't stop.

"The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency is a New York City-based full-service literary agency, recently named one of the top 25 literary agencies in the country by Writers Digest.

The agency specializes in children's literature of all ages -- picture books, middle-grade, and young adult -- but also represents high-quality adult fiction and non-fiction in traditional and non-traditional arenas. The categories that we are most enthusiastic about agenting are: literary and commercial fiction; mysteries; thrillers; celebrity biographies; humor; psychology and self-help; parenting; health and fitness; women's issues; men's issues; pop culture; film and television; social issues and contemporary affairs.

We work with major publishers such as HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Carroll & Graf, etc., as well as audio, web, and electronic publishers where appropriate. The agency has affiliations with subagents throughout the world, including individual countries in Europe, Eastern Europe, the Far East, and South and Central America. We also have strong working relationships with several Hollywood agencies. " (Article from JD Lit Agency Website: www.jdlit.com/)

E. I. : Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. DeChiara, You specialize in literary fiction and commercial fiction, but does that also include general fiction? How do you define literary?

Jennifer DeChiara: The agency represents all kinds of fiction, but we are most passionate about literary fiction, which I define as beautiful writing that is a pleasure to
read.

A literary novel usually appeals to a more intellectual crowd; it either has a unique style or exquisite writing, or both. It's the kind of book where I find myself reading a sentence or a paragraph over and over because the language feels wonderful on my tongue; I will remember sentences that the writer has written many years later. I always say that you can flesh out a character in a book or rewrite a plot - you can restructure an entire novel, if you have to -
but you can't give a writer that kind of talent, the kind of writing that will resonate forever in a reader's heart.

She has been guiding authors through the publishing process since she co-founded BookEnds in 1999. As a literary agent, Jessica prides herself on working closely with her authors to make their goals come to fruition. Jessica represents mystery, suspense, thrillers, romance, erotica and nonfiction. More about Jessica and BookEnds can be found at www.bookends-inc.com or bookendslitagency.blogspot.com

E. I. Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. Faust, In your opinion, is it a mistake to believe that the opening chapter can be successful in a third-person omniscient narrative, without introducing the protagonist and without a single line of dialogue until the very end of the chapter?

Jessica Faust: Unfortunately there isn’t an easy, conclusive answer to this question. It honestly depends on the author, the book and the author’s ability to pull it off. I do not believe there are any concrete rules to making a book work. I think that if you can make it work then it will work. The problem is that there are certain things that few people have been able to do well which is why these rules come into play.

E. I. What makes a certain manuscript stand out from the pile and how many of those first-time authors has BookEnds gotten published over the past few years?

Jessica Faust: The hook is what grabs me or doesn’t grab me immediately. Before even reading any of the material I make part of my decision based on the query letter. If your hook sounds exciting and different I will start reading your material with excitement. However, if you don’t have a strong hook I might not even get to more than a few pages of the book. Of course, after the hook it’s all about the writing—a solid plot, great characters, etc.

Let me explain about the hook a little. I think many people have gotten the misconception that a hook is only for commercial fiction and has to be huge and dramatic, or very obvious like a cozy mystery series with knitting or a book with “Code” in the title. The truth is that a hook doesn’t have to be so obvious. It can be something small that makes your book stand out and catches the eye of the readers. Bella Andre does that Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me, a collection of erotic stories set in Napa Valley. Napa Valley and the food andwine she includes make a hook. It makes her book more than just a collection of stories. Every book has a hook if you dig deep enough, it’s the writer’s job to really make that hook stand out for the reader.

E. I. So great for you to do the interview.
Thank you so much.

Jessica Faust: I thank you very much.

FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Daniel Lazar - Agent

Writer House A Literary Agency

In lieu of a personal photo, Mr. Lazar has supplied a client's book cover.

E.I. What is the publishing climate now for first time literary authors as compared to when you started the business? In what ways does it differ from the current genre climate?

D. Lazar : The climate hasn't really changed. There's a lot of bemoaning about how hard fiction is -- all fiction -- but still, novels still break out in the bookstores, and agents are still making big sales to publishers eager to make big new careers. In general, genre fiction (which is not a judgment of a writer's quality, since it's a matter of fact that every genre has its stellar talents that should & do transcend any crass label) can be an easier sell, I suppose, because the package and channels are little more evident. A thriller is a more specific kind of novel than just a "novel." I think across the board the stakes are higher, in that the hits are hitting bigger, and the books that fail, because they're set up so spectacularly, fail bigger. Also, the bigger accounts (B&N especially) have a great deal of sway in a book's production, from the jacket to the title to the existence of the book in its stores at all! But by all accounts, publishing is a cyclical beast and what is failing today could be hot again tomorrow. Power to the readers.

Ellen Levine is an Executive Vice President of Trident Media Group. Her famous client’s books have become major films,Ms. Levine's career with two publishers: New American Library and Harper; Row (now HarperCollins). She then worked at other agencies before forming Ellen Levine Literary Agency in 1980.

Ellen has appeared on numerous publishing panels and spoken at many writers’ conferences. Many of her clients have appeared on the NY Times Bestseller List and have won major awards and prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the P.E.N. Faulkner Award, the P.E.N. Hemingway Award, The Booker Prize, and The L.A. Times Book Award among others.Many of her clients’ books have become major feature films, including The English Patient, Holes, The Sweet Hereafter, Affliction, Housekeeping, and Ride With the Devil.

The English Patient is a 1992 novel by Sri Lankan Canadian novelist Michael Ondaatje. The film was directed by Anthony Minghella, featured Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. “The English Patient” won 9 Oscars and 37 nominations.

The Sweet Hereafter is a 1991 novel by Russel Banks. It became a 1997 Canadian film and it was written and directed by Oscar-nominated Atom Egoyan. The film was nominated for two Oscars, won Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and 29 more other nominations

Affliction is a 1989 novel by Russel Banks and it became a 1997 film starring Nick Nolte, Academy award winner for best actress Sissy Spacek, James Coburn and two time Academy award-winning nominated, William Dafoe. The film was written and directed by former film critic,screenwriter director Paul Schrader

Housekeeping is a 1987 Novel by Marilynn Robin the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for "Gilead". Housekeeping became a 1988 film starring Academy Award winner Christine Lahti.

Ride with the Devila coming of age novelby Daniel Woodrell. It became a 1997 film, directed by one of todays greatest contemporary filmmaker 'Ang Lee'.

Ellen enjoys representing both literary and popular fiction, including thrillers and women's fiction. She is particularly interested in narrative non-fiction, history, biography, popular culture, world affairs, and politics. She also has a select list of children’s and young adult authors.

EI: How do you feel about working with first-time authors? How many and what kinds of first-time authors have become published through your efforts with Trident Media Literary Agency?

Ellen Lavine: Since my current list keeps me very busy, and because the climate for new fiction is very competitive, I need to be very selective about taking on first-time authors. That said, one of the most exciting aspects of my work is discovering an exceptionally talented new writer with a distinctive voice.

I've handled many first works of fiction - a couple of examples: A collection of short stories published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux entitled GET DOWN by Asali Solomon, an Iowa Writer's Workshop grad, and a first novel to be published this Fall by Tin House Books entitled OVENMAN by Jeff Parker.

EI: Your taste in books is obviously eclectic based on the genre categories you are willing to represent, including literary, popular fiction, thrillers, women’s fiction, narrative non-fiction, historical, biography, popular culture, world affairs, politics, selected list of children and young adults. That's a lot to juggle. What particular qualities do you look for in work by a first time young adult writer, for example?

Ellen Lavine: The same qualities to which I'm attracted in adult fiction: appealing voice, great storytelling, well-developed characters, quality prose; and if there's a strong theme or handle, that helps. I've recently sold a first YA novel to Knopf, FERN VERDANT, by Diana Leszczysnki, to which all of this applies.

FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Theresa Park

Theresa Park - Agent, Owner and Founder of Park Literary Agency was a Silicon Valley attorney turned Literary Agent, in New York. She made her mark representing strong commercial fiction and serious non-fiction.

Her clients include prominent scientist, journalists and established academics venturing into the world of commercial publishing, as well as writers of thrillers, action-adventure novels and modern love stories.

One of her famous client is Nicholas Sparks, an internationally bestselling American author of the number one New York Times bestsellers The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, The Guardian, and many more.

Her list reflects her particular interest in first-time authors, her commitment to the long-term success of her clients’ careers and her love of deal making. Ms. Park is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Ms. Park is one of the founderThe Park Literary Group when she and other colleagues left.

E.I. How do you define a well-crafted commercial fiction? Do you consider commercial fiction as the dessert of all fiction because it sticks to our soul? It’s empty calories, harmless unless overindulged? What is your opinion?

Theresa Park: Great commercial fiction simultaneously offers first-rate entertainment and emotional catharsis. Usually plot-driven enough to create a heightened sense of suspense and curiosity (i.e., a page-turner), it also takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride: engagement, euphoria, loss, and redemption / fulfillment; or alternatively, stasis, loss, terror, courage, and triumph. It should make for a transporting experience, even if it’s not always a deeply profound one.

An escapist novel need not be viewed as “empty calories,” since a particularly skilled author can sometimes craft a commercial thriller or love story that incorporates substantive historical or intellectual elements: think of The Instance of the Fingerpost, The Name of the Rose, Memoirs of a Geisha. As with literary fiction, some commercial novels feel generic and forgettable, while others introduce ideas or emotional conflicts that remain with us long after we’ve finished the last page. Many may take issue with a book’s artistic limitations, but who can forget the wrenching emotional dilemma of The Bridges of Madison County, the bold premise of The Bourne Identity, the heartbreaking choices and ravaged landscapes of The Good German, or even the epic complexity of George R.R. Martin’s books?

Commercial fiction may not always rise to the level of “Art,” but I would argue that it requires a highly disciplined sense of craft – at its best, meticulous plotting, precise control of suspense and pacing, universal and yet memorable characters, powerful emotional triggers, and a supremely satisfying ending. A fantastic commercial novel always succeeds in reminding you why books are still a better form of entertainment than movies or TV – easily worth the additional effort and time.